The combination of infrared (IR) depth cameras and red-green-blue (RGB) video can be referred to as RGB-D, which provides color and depth data. RGB-D cameras are a type of range camera that have been widely used as low-cost peripheral devices for various applications related to virtual reality interaction using natural user interfaces, for example MICROSOFT KINECT®. The information captured by these devices can be used to extract useful information related to the tridimensional shape of a person's body, as well as track changes on its size, range of motion and physical condition. RGB-D cameras (and sensors) can be used as part of a natural user interface for controlling (without touch) a cursor or other tool on a screen for interacting with images, documents, games, and other applications or software.
Human avatars can be reconstructed in 3D using image-based or video-based approaches. These methods perform various intermediate steps such as image processing to label object pixels, calculating the volume intersection, and rendering the visual hull. However techniques that require prior environmental setup (such as specific arrangement of multiple cameras in the 3D space) do not lend themselves to arbitrary arrangements. Furthermore, such avatars are often reconstructed as non-articulated rigid objects, and as a consequence cannot be re-rendered in new arbitrary postures.